View from above

History

No other corner of Andalucía can boast such a rich and close heritage with their Moorish past as does Mojácar. With her exceptional situation as a lookout dominating the surrounding terrain, Mojácar has been settled by many and varied peoples since antiquity. Populated since the bronze age around 2000 BC, soon traders such as Phoenicians and Carthaginians arrived to serve the growing communities. Under Greek dominion, the settlement was called Murgis-Akra, from whence came the latinized Moxacar, the Moorish Muxacra and finally the current name of Mojácar. The north African moors established themselves in Spain in the early VIII century and the province of Almería became firstly under the authority of the Caliphate of Damascus and later on was ruled from Cordoba. Under this second enlightened rule, Mojácar quickly grew in size and importance. With the coronation of Mohammed 1st in Granada, Mojácar and its lands became incorporated into the Nazari sultanate, and the town found itself on the frontier with the Christian forces to the east. Watchtowers and fortresses were built or re-enforced during the XIV century, which nevertheless did little to discourage Christian incursions and fierce battles like the bloody event of 1435 where much of the population of Mojácar was put to the sword.  On June 10th, 1488, the leaders of the region agreed to submit to the Christian forces, although Mojácar's alcaide  refused to attend, considering his town to be already Spanish. At that time occurred the well-known meeting at Mojácar's Moorish fountain, where a pact of free association between the local Moors, Jews and Christians was agreed to. Mojácar once again began to expand until the early XVIII century, when the census of the time recorded 10,000 souls. Around the middle of the XIX century, Mojácar began another period of decline.
The records state that several severe droughts brought about this drop in the town's fortunes, with a consequent emigration to northern Spain, Europe and South America. The depopulation of Mojácar was reaching worrying proportions by the 1960's when tourism began to reverse the trend. Today, Mojácar remains loyal to her past with her architecture, the whitewashed houses and the openness of her subjects, who inherited the ways of understanding and sympathy from their forebears. Perhaps one result of this continuous mixing of cultures and religions is the INDALO - or 'Mojácar man'. This magical totem brings protection and good luck, and from times past was always painted onto the fronts of houses once the whitewash was dry: keeping away the 'evil eye' and protecting those within from storms. The figure might be interpreted to be a man holding a rainbow between his outstretched arms.
The original totem is thought to be around 4,500 years old, and the earliest known one appears among other prehistoric paintings in a cave in Velez Blanco.
The name, Indalo, is recent, and was coined by a group of artists and intellectuals who settled in Mojácar in the early 'sixties, attracted by the magic and bewitchment of the town, and who commercialised the totem which today signifies the whole province of Almería.

The Village

The best way to see Mojácar is to leave the car in the car park and walk to appreciate the pretty medieval arab arquitecture.
From the Platform of the Plaza Nueva we have an impressive view of the Valle de las Pirámides. From this we can see that Mojácar la Vieja, the first prehistoric settlemet of Mojácar, was built on the side of the river "Aguas" whose estuary is found on Mojácar beach, this part being a protected area.
In the square we can find the Ermita de los Dolores dated from the 18C.
From here we can reach The Mirador Castillo, the highest point of the Village. It is really worth spending some time looking at the magnificent view of the Mojácar Coastline. Back down to the square we take the street called "Alcalde Jacinto" up to the Church Santa Maria (1560), originally a fortress made of huge stone slabs, its sober interior open to the public at the usual times of worship.
In front of the church we find the marble statue of the Mojaquera, wearing the typical dress, her face covered in the arab style. She is carrying the water container used to bring the same from the well. At the side of the church we find a stairway leading down to the Plaza del Parterre, which was the old arab cementary. Here is the street "En medio" which follows the old blindary wall that protected the higher part of the village. We now reach the Town Hall Square, with its magnificent old tree, brought from the Americas. Walk from here to the City Door - Puerta de la Almedina is the arab inscription - with its archway (15C) which shows the coat of arms of Mojácar. At the side of the archway we find the Casa del Terreón, the old lodge for paying the taxes to enter the town. Its actual design dates from 18C.

From here we arrive in the Plaza de las Flores, into the old Jewish Quarter, with its labyrinth of tiny streets. We can return to the archway by way of the streets called Guardia, Puntica, Embajadores with their beautiful sea views, or take the lower road, Cuesta de la Fuente, a beautiful winding road to arrive at the old pathway to the Fuente Mora (well) remodelled and retaining.